The previews from this week’s episode looked emotional, and within the first few minutes of it, the family gets a call from their son, Kevin, who is deployed, and he tells them it’s going to be his last deployment. His phone cuts out when he tries to explain why, although the family is relieved.
Abby is finally heading back to work in Baltimore, and as she’s running out the door, she confesses she still hasn’t told the girls she’s planning to move to Chesapeake Shores. Hmm…
Meanwhile, a girl with some big ‘ole dreads heads over to Trace’s house, and she even walks right inside… but he isn’t home. This should be interesting.
Abby arrives at her new office, and it’s definitely not the New York high rise she was working at in New York. She’s overdressed, and there’s a yoga ball instead of a chair at her desk – not quite her cup of tea.
Back at Trace’s, he comes home to find this girl sitting on his bed. And he is piiiiiiised. He immediately raises his voice at her, “I told you NOT to come here and you think it’s a good idea to just show up here?” She explains that HE’S the one who left Nashville, where he had a life. He gets his things, and leaves, telling her she can’t stay.
Jesse runs into her, as she’s looking for a place to stay. Her name is Lee, and Jesse is a little starstruck, as Lee was a singer on Trace’s last album.
The Patriarch of the family seems disappointed that, even though it’s summer, the family isn’t spending much time together. At work, Abby introduces herself to her new staff, and it’s super formal, and kind of awkward.
Although Jesse is admiring Lee from afar as she is singing at the Inn, Jesse knows Lee is probably in town to see Trace, and she needs to tell Abby… but how?
Abby arrives at Trace’s after work, apparently he’d sent her a text about needed to show her something. He hands her a wedding ring, that he found in the floorboards of the church he’s working on. He suggests she give it to Mick,, since he’s on the board of the historical society.
It’s kind of an awkward moment, and she suggests going to brunch on Saturday so they can start making up their missed time. But he tells her it’s “not such a good idea” and gets out of her car.
Meanwhile, Conner and his mom are having a pretty nasty fight at his apartment after she makes a sly comment regarding the fact that his father pays the rent.
When Abby gets home, her dad is building a playhouse for her girls. She quickly gets a call from Conner and explains what just happened between him and their mom.
When Abby gives her dad the ring from Trace, her stepmom takes a look at it and seems emotional… hmmm!
Abby’s sisters pull her aside to tell her about Lee in town to see Trace; and she doesn’t seem upset at all. She tells the ladies that her and Trace are just friends, so it’s no big deal.
Lee and Trace are sitting around a fire, and it comes out that they were given an advance from a label to produce another album, before he left. He says he returned the advance, and she says it’s not about the money, the label wants them to record the album.
He also drops that he “almost cost someone their life”…uhhh WHAT?! She says he needs to forgive himself, and it’s pretty much left at that.
Across town, Abby is laying in bed thinking about what she said to her sisters. It’s obvious she feels a little different about Trace than she’s led on (duh). Later that morning, outside of Sally’s, Abby sees Trace’s truck and goes inside. He’s there with Lee… and it’s awkward.
But Lee knows they dated and she later asks Trace what happened; she knows it’s one of the reasons he won’t come back to Nashville. “Is it really that hard to choose?” she asks him… and he doesn’t have much of an answer.
At family dinner, the house phone rings… a call about Kevin. Their father says it was a PR officer saying they needed to stand by, because they lost communication with Kevin’s troop. …And the episode is over.
Cannot wait for next week’s episode!
The Bitter Lemon 